Acute and Chronic Disease - Difference, Defination & Examples

Acute and chronic diseases form the core of human health study, which explains to what extent the body reacts towards various kinds of illness. As opposed to acute diseases that are normally short-term and develop within a relatively short period, chronic diseases last for a long time and therefore require lengthy management. In major exams like NEET, AIIMS and paramedical, about 2-3% of the total marks are often based on this important topic from the CBSE Biology Class 12 Chapter Human Health and Disease.

Acute Disease

• Acute disease is defined as a disease which occurs only for a certain period and it ends within a few days.
• The most common example of an acute disease is the common cold.
• These types of diseases can be treated with Medical Treatments or they may not need medical treatment. They can be treated by home treatments.
• There are many other types of diseases such as fractures or broken bones.

Also Read:

• Practice MCQ on Health and Disease
• Human Health and Disease
• Innate Immunity
• Evolution

Examples of Acute Diseases

There are many examples of acute diseases such as the common cold, bone fracture and typhoid

Typhoid

• Typhoid is defined as an acute disease and is caused by the infection of a bacteria known as Salmonella Typhi.

• The incubation period of typhoid fever can range from 8 days to 1 month and the disease lasts up to a month or 15 days.

• As it lasts for only a short period of time it is a kind of acute disease.

• It is transmitted by the ingestion of water and food that is contaminated with an infected person's stool.

• Symptoms can appear within days and the symptoms mostly include high fever and diarrhea.

• Typhoid can be tested by our common test known as the Widal test.

• This disease as being acute can be cured by injection of some of the appropriate drugs.

Bone Fracture

• Bone factor is defined as an acute condition where the bone is broken or sometimes the crack may be formed in the bone. It all depends on the type of fracture that takes place.

• Bone fractures may be caused due to the weakening of Bones and sometimes they are caused due to high stress and tension.

• There are many different kinds of bone fractures that can include common fractures and hairline fractures.

• Many times these fractures are associated with some kind of accident.

• The fracture can be diagnosed by the radiological examination of the bone.

Symptoms of Acute diseases

The main symptoms of acute disease include

• Tiredness in body

• Cold

• Diarrhea in some cases

• Headache in most cases

• Vomiting

• Nausea

• Fatigue

• Hypertension

• Symptoms sometimes get severe

Treatment of Acute Disease

• It is often self-limiting, resolving spontaneously over time.
• May require minimal medication, such as pain relievers or antibiotics.
• Recovery typically occurs with simple rest and hydration.
• If the symptoms become worse, they might need medical intervention.
• Some acute diseases can be prevented by vaccination, such as flu.
• It is only in very few instances that surgical intervention is required; some examples include appendicitis.

Chronic Disease

• Chronic diseases are defined as illnesses or diseases that occur suddenly and gradually and that may last for a long period and can last even for a lifetime.
• It leads to the destruction of the organ and also the organ system thereby the effects of quality of life.
• There are many examples of chronic diseases like arthritis and asthma.

Symptoms of Chronic Disease

There are many symptoms of chronic disease because it affects our body in a very bad way some of them are

• the person can go bedridden for a long period of time

• The person can feel anxiety and a depressed mind.

• Loss of appetite and hunger take place.

• Frequent urination takes place.

• During chronic disease weakening of the eyesight also occurs

• Chronic disease also leads to damage to the organ system

Examples of Chronic Diseases

Cancer: Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases that is caused by retrovirus and a person becomes bedridden for a lifetime as it is a chronic infection.

Due to the growth of cancerous cells, the body's normal cells starve and die which leads to decreased cell count.

AIDS: It is defined as acquired immune deficiency syndrome and it is a chronic disease. It is not a single disease but in this Immunity and the immune system become so weak that a person catches any infection too fast.

It can be spread by blood transfusions from infected persons or from sexual contact between infected persons.

Treatment of Chronic Disease

This kind of disease requires proper care and proper medication for example :

Cancer: Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy

Many different kinds of medications are provided for treating cancer such as cisplatin and taxol.

How to Diagnose Acute and Chronic Diseases

Disease medical practitioners use the following diagnostic tools depending on the type of disease:

For Acute diseases

• Blood tests like malaria
• Imaging for example appendicitis
• Physical checking for acute diseases

For Chronic Diseases

• Long-term monitoring like tests for blood sugar for diabetes
• Imaging for example X-rays for arthritis
• Assessment of lifestyle, for example, dietary habits for heart disorders.

Difference between Acute and Chronic Disease

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Acute and Chronic Diseases

• Study Aids: Create diagrams or comparison tables to help visualize and distinguish acute and chronic conditions.
• Mnemonics: Use memory aids such as "FAST" for acute and "LAST" for chronic diseases.
• Multimedia: Sometimes a series of videos or animations may help explain some abstract concepts about disease.
• Real-Life Application Link acute diseases, such as a cold, with everyday examples, and chronic diseases, such as asthma, to everyday examples.
• Flashcards: Use flashcards to remember key terms and test yourself on disease characteristics.

Weightage of Questions from Acute and Chronic Diseases in different Exams

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between acute and chronic diseases helps in managing health conditions and treatment approaches. Acute diseases are of short duration and curative in nature, such that once proper treatment is deployed, they are cured instantly. Chronic diseases also require more prolonged care and lifestyle adjustments. Both impact all stakeholders, whether it be the patients or the healthcare systems.

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